The Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) Preparatory Course, July 18, 2013

The Entomological Society of America (ESA), the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines, created the ACE program in order to make entomological certification possible for the practicing PMP. In order to qualify, the candidate must have at least seven years of pest management experience, a current Applicator’s license and must be able to pass a rigorous exam designed to test PMPs on practical aspects of applied entomology. This was the second time that Bug Off offered the  ACE Prep Course, presented right after the ESA revamped the ACE exam. It was presented by Dr. Stuart Mitchell, BCE, a ranking member of the Society, who had a hand in developing the new exam. The Course covered the major categories of competency found in the exam.

Here’s what Dr. Mitchell had to say after the Course:

Becoming An ACE: Acquiring Excellence!
By Dr. Stuart Mitchell

On one the hottest days of the summer; at one of the top training facilities in the northeastern U.S., over thirty seasoned and “combat-hardened” pest management professionals (PMPs) assembled for a challenging, yet fulfilling, day of intense review training. 

The Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) 8 Hour Review Course 2.0 was held at Andy Linares’ renowned Bug Off Career Training Center in New York City on July 18, 2013. Sponsored by the Entomological Society of America’s ACE Program and Bug Off Pest Control Center,  the course covered the major categories of pest management science competencies.

The ACE examination is designed to recognize practicing PMPs who have a solid comprehension of the practical aspects of applied entomology.

• The content of the ACE review course covers basic entomology, biology, life cycles, identification, and practical management for important structural pests.
• Ecological principles and environmental impacts pertaining to pest management.
• Integrated pest management (IPM) principles and pesticide technology.

As much as ACE demonstrates a higher reasoning and competency, possessing the certification also enhances our “power posing.”

• Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves.
• Research on body language reveals that we can change other people’s perceptions, and even our own body chemistry, simply by changing body positions.
• Social psychologists show that standing in a posture of confidence, even when we do not feel confident, can affect testosterone (confidence hormone) and cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.
• Power posing is the exploded pose vs. the imploded pose.

The confidence that arises from competence allows our bodies to change our minds. Our minds change our behavior, and our behavior changes our outcomes. Chance favors the prepared mind!

Thirty pest management professionals go forward with improved competence. The “hot” time these PMPs invested in the ACE review course will bring “cool” confidence on the day of their ACE examinations!